Between 2014 to 2016, Dave Hutchinson published 3 books in his “Fractured Europe” series of science fiction novels. A fourth book was later published in 2018, and then a fifth in 2022.
Europe in Autumn (2014)
Europe at Midnight (2015)
Europe in Winter (Nov 2016)
Europe at Dawn (Nov 2018)
Cold Water (2022)
I have only read “Europe in Winter” but enjoyed it so much that I had to talk about it on my blog. Unfortunately, life is short and my to-be-read list is very long, so I won’t be reading the other books in the series.
From some background reading on the internet, Hutchinson uses the first 3 novels to show a near-future Europe that has been shattered by economic collapse, pandemic and political fragmentation.
The continent has splintered into hundreds of tiny states, city-states and micronations, all separated by heavily policed borders. Movement, especially of information, has become a valuable commodity.
The trilogy story follows spies, smugglers, intelligence operatives and couriers, especially those connected with the clandestine Les Coureurs des Bois, as they navigate this labyrinth of shifting allegiances, espionage and intrigue. This fractured political landscape is neither entirely accidental nor entirely understood by the people living within it.
Across the trilogy, the focus broadens from espionage to a deeper mystery about how history, geography and even reality have been subtly manipulated by hidden forces operating across different timelines and versions of Europe. Who is reshapign Europe, and why? Can competing visions of Europe’s future coexist?
“Europe in Winter” follows a new cast of characters who are drawn into a series of investigations spanning Europe’s maze of microstates. What initially appear to be unrelated incidents gradually reveal links to the secretive ‘Community’, an organisation that has long manipulated events behind the scenes. Couriers and intelligence networks remain essential because fragmented Europe still depends on people who can cross borders and carry information.
The existence of multiple, subtly different Europes, all connected through hidden routes is revealed. The Community has been exploiting these parallel worlds for decades, moving people, resources and even entire political projects between them while concealing the truth from almost everyone. The connection between Europe’s fragmentation and these interwoven realities is slowly revealed, showing how rival factions within the Community have competing plans for Europe’s future.
In the climax, the conspiracy begins to unravel as the hidden network is exposed and its control over events weakens. Rather than restoring Europe to its former political unity, no single version of Europe seems destined to prevail. The surviving characters emerge into a future where the existence of multiple Europes is increasingly difficult to suppress, bringing the trilogy to a close by resolving its central conspiracy while leaving the long-term consequences open to interpretation.
So much for the plot. What I loved about “Europe in Winter” was the shape of the characters that Hutchinson draws for us. Shaped by circumstances and regional differences, just about staying on the right side of fun instead of cliché, they are believable with excellent individual voices and sense of place.
Not having read the first 2 books in the series did not stop me from enjoying “Europe in Winter”, with some genuine laugh out loud moments (in a good way) and a thirst to see how it would all wrap up.
Recommended.
Lee J. Russell, creative 